R.E.M.

Editor's Review:

R.E.M.'s latest effort, Reveal, has been tearing up the charts, and after a few listens, it is obvious why. One of the best things about R.E.M. is that they have been around for 20 years now, and still stand for the sound and image they started with. They never took off on the techno tip or decided to rap or anything.

On Reveal, they incorporate a 20-piece string section that adds a full lushness to the overall tone of the album. Michael Stipe's voice is as strong and authoritative as ever, delivering lyrics that lean towards searching and questioning; Peter Buck's guitar adds a mandolin-esque sound on songs like "Disappear"; and Mike Mills holds strong with his bass. Bill Berry's absence on the drums is still evident, but some of the songs on Reveal are strong enough that drums aren't even necessary…and not many bands can do that.

The transformation from the previous album, UP, to Reveal is done in a Beatles-esque way: the elements that make R.E.M. who they are still exist, but they just added on — Stipe's softer vox intertwined with rough and craggy undertones, layers of strings, synthesizers and looping sounds bring together fitting aesthetic for their 16th album. The sound of longing and searching is evident with words and sounds that can put you into a state of serenity one moment and contemplation the next. You can tell R.E.M. is comfortable enough with their own sound to stray a bit, but the group still ends up with a final product that lets you know they haven't changed.

– Laney Erokan


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Record Label Warner Bros. Records Released May 2001

Tracks The Lifting I've Been High All The Way To Reno (You're Gonna Be A Star) She Just Wants To Be Disappear Saturn Return Beat A Drum Imitation of Life Summer Turns To High Chorus and the Ring I'll Take The Rain Beachball

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